For many of us, getting enough sleep during the week can be challenging. Common activities like work, commuting, social life, downtime, and watching TV can cause us to lose sleep. As a result, more than one-third of Americans get less than seven hours of sleep per night, rather than the recommended seven to nine hours. The loss of those one to two hours is called sleep debt. 

Sleep debt, or sleep deficit, is the difference between how much sleep you need and how much you get. Sleep debt is cumulative, so going to sleep a half hour or an hour later than normal over a few days can add up quickly. Two weeks of sleeping just six hours a night produces the same level of cognitive impairment as if you stayed awake for two full days straight. Other side effects caused by sleep debt can include: 

• Poor vision, hearing, coordination, and balance 

• Reduced energy and motivation 

• Slower reaction time 

• Drowsiness and irritability 

• Impaired memory, attention, judgment, and decision-making 

• Decreased performance in many areas, including athletics 

Long-term sleep debt can lead to sleep deprivation, which occurs when you are frequently not getting as much sleep as you need. Not regularly getting an adequate amount of sleep increases the risk of developing health conditions, such as: 

• Cancer 

• Heart disease 

• Dementia 

• Mental health disorders, such as depression 

Sleep deprivation can also impact your health in other ways, including: 

• Immune system dysfunction 

• Poor emotional regulation 

• Executive function issues 

• Metabolic dysregulation and weight gain 

• Inhibited sex drive  

• Higher risk of accidents, falls, and other injuries 

Sleeping in on the weekends is the most common strategy to recover lost sleep. It can help with the occasional sleep deficit, but it isn’t good for the long term. 

According to research from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine showed that after five nights of sleeping less than four hours, a single recovery night of about nine hours still left people with residual attention lapses and slower reaction times. A six-week study of high-performing adults found that two nights of eight-hour recovery sleep failed to restore accuracy on tests of spatial orientation and sustained attention. Furthermore, performance declined steadily during the restricted weeknights, and the sleep recovery during the weekend wasn’t enough to cause a reset.  

Additionally, a study done at the University of Colorado brought 36 healthy adults into a sleep lab for two weeks and found that people who slept only five hours a night gained about three pounds and saw a 13% decrease in insulin sensitivity. The group that slept five hours during the week and was allowed to sleep in on weekends fared even worse, as they also gained three pounds and experienced a 27% decrease in insulin sensitivity. What’s more, their liver and muscle metabolism suffered more than the group that never got recovery sleep at all.  

When you finally get the opportunity to sleep longer, your brain prioritizes deep sleep, the sleep stage that restores daytime alertness and cognitive function, first. This is called a rebound effect. Your brain categorizes the sleep stages and recovers the most critical stages before anything else, which is why the first long recovery sleep feels so restorative even if you are far from fully recharged.  

Complete recovery from weeks of sleep debt and deprivation will require many nights of quality sleep, rather than making up the sleep during the weekend. The first step in getting sufficient sleep is to improve your sleep hygiene. There are several ways to improve your sleep hygiene and reduce your chances of accumulating sleep debt, including: 

• Keeping a set sleep schedule 

• Developing a nightly routine 

• Considering daytime habits 

• Improving the bedroom environment 

When recovering lost sleep, the most effective strategy is to add sleep in small, consistent increments instead of overhauling your schedule. Some techniques that can be useful to help you properly catch up on sleep and eliminate sleep debt include: 

• Staying consistent 

• Keeping a sleep diary 

• Trying an afternoon nap 

• Giving time to the process 

• Talking to your healthcare provider 

If you are having difficulty sleeping and would like help, Jamaica Hospital’s state-of-the-art sleep center can help diagnose and treat various sleep disorders. For more information or to make an appointment, please call 718-206-5916.  

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All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.